Mercedes working on 400HP engine for A 45 AMG
About four years ago when the Mercedes A 45 AMG broke cover, it made headlines as the world’s most powerful hot hatch.
Back then, its 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine produced 265kW, but with the facelift came a power boost, too, to 280kW early last year which allowed it to reclaim the title it had shortly lost to the Audi RS3.
Old engine has reached the limit as Merc guns for 400HP A 45 AMG
However impressive it might be, it could very well be surpassed. The automaker has already confirmed working on an entirely new generation A 45 AMG that will drop the current engine for a new benchmark 4-cylinder design.
The Mercedes-AMG engineers are currently working with “a blank piece of paper” when it comes to the new engine, as the brand’s chief Tobias Moers confirmed, right before answering with “Yes, I think so”, when asked if the power will be north of the 297kW mark. That makes a golden 400HP headline…
“Since the current A 45’s facelift, we’ve been running with 376bhp,” Moers said. “For sure, the limiting factor is the heat management in the cylinder head, so we’re not moving forward with that engine any more.”
The next generation of the A-Class could also bring a lesser version of the A 45 AMG, as there could be space between the range-topper and the A250 for yet another hot hatch to rival the likes of the BMW M140i (previously 135i) and Audi S3.
